Planeswalker/Igniting
Igniting (also "triggering", "flaring" or "ascension") refers to the spark's ignition, that is the process by which a sapient creature activates their latent spark and thus becomes a planeswalker.
Ascension
In Pre-Mending stories, planeswalkers were often sorcerers who somehow acquired the incredibly vast amount of mana[1] required to perform the ritualistic sorcery of one's own ascension. Slaying a powerful planeswalker was one common way to acquire the necessary mana.
Sparking
Following the Mending, ascension was no longer a viable option for becoming a planeswalker, making it impossible for most wizards to become planeswalkers. A very small fraction of wizards possess the qualities needed for a natural spark. Usually, its ignition is triggered by a powerful, emotionally-affecting, perspective-altering life event, often a near death experience.[2]
First planeswalk
As an effect of the ignition, the newly-ignited planeswalker planeswalks away for their first time: they are pulled to the Blind Eternities and then come back appearing to a random plane, and afterwards realizing their new traveling powers.
List of all explained ignitions:
| Planeswalker | Ignited on | Planeswalked to | Date | Ignition's cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajani Goldmane | Naya | Jund | ~4556 AR | Realizing the death of his brother |
| Arlinn Kord | Innistrad | Unknown | Realizing she transformed into a werewolf and had killed an angel[3]; or after killing her childhood friend Luciana in werewolf form.[4] | |
| Basri Ket | Amonkhet | Unknown | Elation at winning Oketra's Trial of Solidarity. | |
| Bo Levar | Dominaria | Unknown | 63 | Being caught in the Sylex Blast.[5] |
| Calix | Theros | Unknown | ~4562 | Frustration about his inability to fulfill his purpose of following Elspeth Tirel. |
| Chandra Nalaar | Kaladesh | Regatha | ~4548 | Striking against her executioner with pyromancy |
| Dack Fayden | Fiora | Unknown | Witnessing his friend being killed by rival mages | |
| Dakkon Blackblade | Dominaria | Unknown | After Geyadrone Dihada stole his soul using the Blackblade. | |
| Daretti | Fiora | Unknown | Being crippled by the explosion of one of his constructs | |
| Domri Rade | Ravnica | Naya | Being buried alive as part of a Gruul ritual | |
| Elspeth Tirel | A phyrexianized plane | Theros | ~4545 | Fleeing from the Phyrexians |
| Eskil | Dominaria | Unknown | Between -2,500 and -440 | Splashed by the blood of the corrupted angel Trine. |
| Faralyn | Dominaria | Shandalar | Year 1 in by the Reckoning of the Sages of Minorad | Cast the ascension spell using mana harvested from Chromium Rhuell.[6] |
| Freyalise | Dominaria | Unknown | ~2434 | Mortally wounded by Jason Carthalion. |
| Garth One-Eye | Kuthuman's realm | Unknown | Year of the 998th Festival | Cast the ascension spell using the mana harvested from slaying Kuthuman.[1][7] |
| Gideon Jura | Theros | Bant | Realizing the death of his irregulars through his own hubris | |
| Huatli | Ixalan | Kaladesh (uncompleted) | Under furious attack by Angrath | |
| Jace Beleren | Vryn | Ravnica | Accidental planeswalk after being memory wiped | |
| Jared Carthalion | Dominaria | Unknown | 3980 | Crushed by crumbling monoliths confronting Ravidel |
| Jaya Ballard | Dominaria | Elsewhere on Dominaria | 2954 | Hit by Jodah's mirror |
| Jeska | Dominaria | Unknown | 4306 | Being split from Karona with the Mirari |
| Kaito Shizuki | Kamigawa | Unknown | The Kami Himoto ignites his spark after they find they have a common goal in finding the emperor of Kamgiawa in the Multiverse. | |
| Karn (1st time) | Dominaria | Mercadia[5] | 4205 | Acquiring Urza's spark |
| Karn (2nd time) | New Phyrexia | Unknown | Acquiring Venser's spark | |
| Kiora | Zendikar | Unknown | Being swallowed by a big sea serpent | |
| Kuthuman | Dominaria | Unknown | Year of the 978th Festival | Cast the ascension spell using mana tributes from the Fighting Houses of Kush.[1] |
| Liliana Vess | Dominaria | Innistrad | Turning to black mana to restrain her undead brother Josu | |
| Lukka | Ikoria | Unidentified plane | ~4561 | Overextending the power of the Ozolith |
| Narset | Tarkir | Pulled back to Tarkir | Learning the truth about Tarkir's past | |
| Nicol Bolas | Dominaria | Meditation Plane | Between -20,000 and -17,000 | Rage and envy against Ugin |
| Niko Aris | Theros | Bretagard, Kaldheim | During a battle against an agent of Klothys. | |
| Nissa Revane | Zendikar | Lorwyn | Witnessing Emrakul's sealed presence | |
| Ob Nixilis (1st time) | A plane of eternal war | Unknown | Realizing the futility of life and mono-planar ambitions | |
| Ob Nixilis (2nd time) | Zendikar | Unknown | ~4559 | Siphoning the power of the hedrons into himself. |
| Oko | Unknown | Unknown | Tortured by magical procedures designed to suppress his powers. | |
| Ral Zarek | Ravnica | Unidentified plane | Being stabbed and finding out his lover was betraying him. | |
| Ravidel | Dominaria | Unknown | 2934 | Being resurrected from death by Kristina of the Woods. |
| Rowan and Will Kenrith | Eldraine | Possibly Kylem[8] | ~4561 | Learning the truth about their birth mother. |
| Sarkhan Vol | Tarkir | Unknown | Channeling the spirit of an ancient dragon | |
| Samut | Amonkhet | Theros | ~4560 | Experiencing euphoria and joy after being thanked by Hazoret |
| Sifa Grent | Grixis | Unknown | Tortured by Malfegor. | |
| Sorin Markov | Innistrad | Unknown | Becoming a vampire | |
| Tacenda Verlasen | Innistrad | Unknown | ~4561 | Defeating her sister Willia, and absorbing the Bog Entity.[9] |
| Teferi (1st time) | Dominaria | Unknown | An experiment with time and phasing gone wrong. | |
| Teferi (2nd time) | Dominaria | Unknown | ~4560 | Restored by a Powerstone made by Jhoira. |
| Tezzeret | Esper | Grixis | Being attacked by guards after learning that the Codex Etherium was empty. | |
| Teyo Verada | Gobakhan | Ravnica | ~4561 | Being buried alive. |
| Tibalt | Innistrad | Unknown | Feeling all the pain he had inflicted on others in his life | |
| Tyvar Kell | Kaldheim | Possibly Zendikar[10] | ||
| Ugin | Dominaria | Meditation Plane | Realizing his twin brother doesn't love him and is trying to manipulate him. | |
| Urza | Dominaria | Unknown | 63 | Enduring the Sylex Blast and being resurrected by Glacian's spark through the Might and Weakstone |
| Vivien Reid | Skalla | Unknown | Seeing her world destroyed by Nicol Bolas | |
| Vraska | Ravnica | A swamp on a dark plane. A tomb with no way out. | Being severely beaten by Azorius prison guards. | |
| Vronos | Innistrad | Esper | Having his face scarred by werewolves | |
| Wrenn | Unknown | Unknown | Threathened by a forest fire. |
References
- ↑ a b c Forstchen, William R. (1994). Arena. Harper Prism.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (August 4, 2015). "Spark Ignition". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Arlinn Kord
- ↑ K. Arsenault Rivera (September 02, 2021). "Episode 1: The Witch of the Woods". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b J. Robert King. (2001.) Apocalypse, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-1880-2.
- ↑ Gomez, Jeff. (1995). "The Shard". Ice Age on the World of Magic: The Gathering. Armada.
- ↑ Ethan Fleischer (June 10, 2021). "The Returning Legends of Modern Horizons 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Adana Washington (March 25, 2021). "Episode 1: Class Is in Session". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Brandon Sanderson (2018). "Children of the Nameless". Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Roy Graham (January 13, 2021). "Kaldheim Episode 2: Awaken the Trolls". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
